The home ballpark since 1969 is likely hosting its final professional game Monday, when the Bristol State Liners host the Greenville Flyboys.
The team is moving a little south in 2024, on the other side of that state line. Bristol, Virginia has been home to baseball in various forms dating back to 1911.
Team General Manager Mahlon Luttrell said maintenance issues at Boyce Cox Field brought on the change. But he understands the move is emotional for loyal fans.
“You’ve got some folks, that just because it was always there, they feel that’s where it should always be," he explained. "Then you’ve got a lot of a lot of new fans, on the other side of the coin, they’re very excited about a new facility. We feel very strongly this particular area of the city is going to be growing. And it is growing already.”
Luttrell said without the move, professional baseball may have left the Bristol area altogether.
“There was an option out there on the table that if we did not make this move, or facilitate this move, then baseball at the higher level was in dire jeopardy of not playing in Bristol any longer.”
The change is the result of a feasibility study that started in 2015. He says Major League Baseball worked with Bristol, Tennessee, which chipped in $5-million to upgrade an existing softball field at Whitetop Creek Park.
The new park will also have modern seating, lighting, and new dimensions to meet league standards.
The team’s former play-by-play announcer, Dillon Hutton, grew up near Bristol, Virginia, where minor league affiliates of the Tigers, White Sox, and Pirates, have all played. The collegiate version of the Appalachian League started in 2021.
Hutton admits to being a little nostalgic.
“That’s what’s unique about Bristol, is you could bring food in, and they have the hillside where you can just bring chairs and just sit up there. It’s laid back," he said. "It’s kind of like going to a ballgame back in the day. I would say we had a good group of diehard fans.”
Whitetop Creek Park is about 10 miles from the park in Bristol, VA, and minutes from the Bristol, Tennessee Motor Speedway.
Luttrell expects the new ballpark to be ready for games in June 2024. Boyce Cox Field in Virginia will continue to host Bristol High School games.
